


A Spring Walk

by dreaminginscenes



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Character Study, Exploration, F/M, Fanart, Headcanon, Illustrations
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-23
Updated: 2019-04-23
Packaged: 2020-01-25 15:17:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18577129
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreaminginscenes/pseuds/dreaminginscenes
Summary: A young Gabriel and Emilie enjoy a spring day, although Gabriel's mind remains preoccupied.





	A Spring Walk

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to explore Gabriel's character. What was he like before tragedy struck? Who was the man that Emilie fell in love with? There is much we still don't know, but perhaps this is what he was like when he was younger.

  
A spring day, fresh from a rain storm, should have been enough to pull Gabriel from his thoughts. Especially since Emilie held his hand on this overcast but lovely day.

Her hand trailed over the bridge's metal railing, little droplets wicking away from her delicate fingers. 

They had been wandering through the city, finally enjoying their day off, without any direction or care for where they ended up. A free day amid the stress of university responsibilities was a blessed relief, even more so since the pair hardly had time together during the busy terms. Such a day was not made for plans; it was meant for mindless hours and idle amusements.

Gabriel wasn't really where they had gone, in truth. His mind preoccupied him with twisted broodings that sickened his stomach.

He felt her tug on his hand, pulling him back to reality for a moment.

"Did you hear me, Gabriel?"

"Oh, sorry, what did you say?"

"I asked if you wanted to go to the park."

He followed where her finger pointed to the park across the street. Not a soul wandered the cobblestone paths in the wet afternoon, leaving the freshly washed field free for them.

The young couple hurried across the slick road and under the dripping trees that lined the entrance. Hardly a car passed on the remote street, keeping the garden-like park a peaceful haven.

April flowers were beginning to blossom across the green flora. The rain did little to dampen the perfumes that aired the park. For a moment, Gabriel found himself enjoying the colors and shapes that sent his artistic mind racing.

However, the moment didn't last long. A mere second later, he drifted back behind the walls in his head.

The news was worse every day. War was building across the nations. Fear spread through races and religions. Hatred filled the hearts of everyone on every side. The world was falling apart around him.

No; it was being torn apart by the very hands that claimed to be building it. Governments across the nations were filled with hypocrites. They each pretended to be fighting to save and repair the world. No one seemed to see how those appointed to protect them were destroying everything they saw.

Emilie giggled beside him; the glorious bell-like sound allowed him a glimmer in the darkness that surrounded him.

She pointed to his shoulder where an ivory butterfly had alighted on his dark wool coat. "I think he likes you."

Gabriel couldn't help but smile. She always managed to help him see the beauty in the little things.

The tiny butterfly beat its wings, drying the moisture from them, then fluttered of into the trees.

Emilie slipped her free hand into the pocket of her cream coat. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

"What is?"

She took a deep breath. "Everything."

He tried not to laugh. They both saw the world so differently. Where he saw pain and despair, she saw brightness and hope. 

She turned to him when he didn't answer her. "Don't you think?"

He shifted his gaze away from her bright green eyes. "I…I don't know anymore."

He wanted to leave the topic there, his inner demons didn't need any more feeding today. However, she stopped short in the walkway, halting their pace. Her continued silence was enough to tell him she wanted him to continue. 

Gabriel sighed. His breath was barely visible in the misty air. "Everything…everything just keeps getting worse. Everyone seems so scared and angry all the time. No one wants to take responsibility for the state of the world, and the ones who should keep making it worse. I just can't see how anything is beautiful anymore."

She gave his hand a gentle squeeze. Her gentle smile calmed his raging heart somewhat. "You don't find beauty in the big things, Gabriel." She released his hand to bend down and pick something up. "It's in the little things."

A bright red ladybug crawled across her palm, held out for Gabriel to see. "It's in a flower starting the bloom, or the way a breeze rustles the trees. Maybe it's in how a stranger says hello, or a loved one tells a story." The ladybug opened its wings and buzzed away. The pair watched as it disappeared among the glittering blades of grass. "Things are hard, yes, but there are little moments in the day that help me see that not everything is awful. It's times like this when people start to reach out to those they care about, and be concerned with others they don't even know. If enough people can be like that, then the world is beautiful."

He couldn't bring himself to contradict her. He did not want to ruin her view of the world. He couldn't tell her that most people only looked out for those they call friends and family for their own personal gain, and those rare ones that did care were still too scared to reach out to others, and the few that did were the ones that life took too soon. 

He realized she was staring at him with that piercing gaze that so often stopped his words and his heart. "I know you don't believe me, and I don't blame you. But if we have each other, how terrible can the world really be?"

Any ice that still surrounded his heart immediately vaporized. He took her hand back in his; she was right about that.

Emilie resumed their slow and steady walk along the drying stone path. "I would think that as a fashion designer, you would be able to notice little details."

He knew she was jesting with him, attempting to joke him out of his thoughts, but he intertwined his fingers with hers. "You help me see the beautiful things."

Seeing the sincerity in his gaze, that glorious smile graced her lips. She rested her head on his shoulder as the sun left the clouds.


End file.
